Saving Grace
by Caught In A Simple Game
Summary: Life brought them together as kids when they needed each other. Now they need each other again - maybe more than they know.
1. Chapter 1

Juice spotted her before he even parked the bike. The young woman standing with Luann was taller than he remembered her, and her hair was longer than she usually kept it, but he'd know her anywhere. Maybe it was her mannerisms, maybe it was her curves – God knows he'd thought of them many times over the years they had been apart. Whatever it was that tipped him off, Juice knew the moment he spotted her that Grace Callaghan had just stepped back into his life.

"Juice?" Austin called from where she was scooting off the back of his bike. They were supposed to take the van and go get some things from her apartment. At this point, anything to get Austin out of Jax's hospital room was productive.

But Juice was too distracted by Grace's presence at the lot. "I'll be right there."

If there was any doubt in his mind that it was her, those shreds were swept away the closer he got. He stood there for a few seconds, drinking in the sight of his childhood best friend as an adult woman. When he had left New York, he never thought he had seen her again. Not because he didn't want to; their lives had simply taken them in different directions.

"Gracie," he finally said, an unstoppable grin taking over his features.

The dark-haired girl turned to see who was getting her attention, and her jaw hit the pavement. "Carlos?"

Juice laughed at the way her Boston accent made his name sound more like 'Cahlos' when it rolled off her tongue. Even their peers in school had known the difference between their heavy Queens accent and hers. He'd always adored it.

After her initial surprise passed, Juice was ready with open arms for the hug he knew was coming. Grace flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his torso. She kissed his cheek and held on tight.

"It's good to see you, too, Gracie," Juice laughed, putting her back down on the ground.

She couldn't erase the goofy smile from her face. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here," Juice answered. "Clay's my boss."

Grace turned to Clay, a mortified look on her face. She'd nearly forgotten just what _she _was doing there. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Luann waved her off. "I take it you two know each other."

"Carlos and I grew up together when I lived in New York," Grace explained.

"Well, why don't you and _Carlos _take a walk," Clay suggested. "He can show you around Luann and I will discuss your employment opportunity."

"Employment?" Juice questioned.

Grace took him by the hand and dragged him into the clubhouse. "I'm moving here. From Miami."

"Damn. You've been up and down the East Coast, haven't you?"

Grace rolled her eyes. "I stayed in New York for a few years after you left, then I went to Orlando. I just moved to Miami in the last couple of years."

"You always wanted to live in Florida," Juice replied, smiling nostalgically. "Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have you around again, but I want you to tell me what's going on."

"I don't know all the details. Luann explained that things about the Sons of Anarchy are on a need-to-know basis."

"You're stalling, Gracie."

She sighed. "Luann and Clay are going in together on a strip club on the outskirts of Charming. Friend of mine in Miami knows her, Luann asked if she had any girls she could send up."

Juice frowned. "How long have you been stripping?"

Grace shrugged. "Started when I moved to Orlando. About five years, I guess."

"Gracie … that's not you."

"That _wasn't _me," she corrected. "A lot of things have changed in the last eight years, and maybe you don't know me anymore. _Juice_."

With that, she stormed out of the clubhouse, back to Clay and Luann. Juice sighed and ran a hand over his head, settling it on the back of his neck. He'd been so happy to see her, but to find out she was stripping? Grace was better than that and he knew it. There was nothing he could do about it now, he supposed.

He sat behind the driver's seat and started the engine. He tried to keep the anger and confusion from his face, but Austin knew them all too well.

"You look pissed off," she commented, and Juice knew she was in protective mode. "Who was that girl?"

"Relax," Juice replied as he pulled off the lot. "I know her from back East."

Austin raised her brow. "And?"

"Look, Aus, you gotta keep this between you and me for a little bit, okay?"

"Fair enough."

"I know her from back home. Her parents moved from Boston to Queens when we were ten. We were pretty close and … anyway. She's working for Luann now."

Austin nodded in understanding. "I'm guessing she's not usually clothed when she's working?"

Juice shook his head. "No, she's not."

"What's her name?"

"Grace. Look, we really don't have to talk about this."

"All right, but just remember … I'm here if you need to talk."

"Thanks, Aus."

And he knew it was true. It didn't make him laugh this time like it usually did, but he thought about when Austin threw the croweater Jax had been screwing out of the clubhouse. Juice knew she'd do the same for any of them, himself included. Now that he thought about it, Grace and Austin weren't so different. Grace could be shy and prissy at first glance, but once you got to know her, there's was a very tough girl underneath.

Or at least there was in the Gracie he knew. This Grace – the stripper – wasn't the girl he knew in junior high and high school. She wasn't the girl he'd dreamed of and missed all these years.

.:.

Grace leaned back on the pillows on her hotel room bed and let out a deep breath. Her emerald green eyes stared at the ceiling. She should be sleeping; her cab was coming early to take her to the Stockton airport so that she could fly back to Miami. Luann and Clay had liked her and agreed to hire her on, despite her exhibition when Carlos – er, Juice – had first called her name.

No one had called her Gracie in years. After Juice left New York, then her mother died, and there was no reason for her to stay in New York. Some friends were heading down for Orlando and while Grace trusted them, none of them knew her like Carlos did. So many things had happened since the day she left New York, and some of those things she was still trying to reconcile. She would just have to hope that she could get back to Miami, get her things, and get out before things got worse than they were now. She'd come back to Charming, make some good money, find a lawyer, and figure things out from there.

Her heart hoped that she could rekindle her friendship with Carlos, but her head told her that was a stupid, empty dream. He'd never understand the person she'd become.

Grace let out a deep breath as she threw the covers back. She had told herself she wasn't going to do this here, but she couldn't stop herself. The battle between her head and her heart was just too much to deal with. Sleep would come easier this way, too.

She climbed out of the bed and reached for her overnight bag. The pill bottle was easy to find; there was no way she'd try to hide it from herself. She'd panic if she couldn't find those pills right away.

She took two and swallowed them down with a glass of water. Already she felt calmer, just knowing the peace that was coming.

.:.

Grace thought she had much more than this, but when she got back to that apartment in Miami, she found that there were only a few bags of clothes and one shoebox of old pictures she wanted to take with her. Tyler could have the rest of it. If it worked out her way, Tyler would think she just fell off the face of the planet.

"You know he's going to go ape-shit when he finds out you're gone," Penny warned her.

"I know," Grace sighed, lugging one large duffel bag out into the hallway. "But I can't stay here anymore. You know that."

There was no arguing that. It had been a month since Grace first visited Charming. Luann had found a place to turn into a strip bar, and called to let her know she was ready for Grace to come back. That month with Tyler had been hell – knowing the end was coming but not knowing when.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Penny looked around. "That's it then?"

Grace nodded. "That's it. I'll be in touch, all right?"

Penny hugged her fiercely. "You know I will. Call me if you need _anything_, okay?"

"I will," Grace promised, hugging her back. "I'm going to take this one down to the cab and come back for the others."

"I'll help," Penny offered. "That way you don't have to make two trips."

The women hugged again once Grace's bags were in the trunk of the cab. Grace was going to miss Penny; one of the few friends she had who actually gave a damn. It had been Penny who first discovered she needed a way out and called Luann for a favor. Penny waved in the rearview mirror; Grace watched her go before turning back to the cab.

"Where the _hell _do you think you're going?"

Her breath caught in her throat. That was the one voice she had hoped to never hear again and it belonged to the man she never wanted to see again.

"I'm leaving, Tyler," Grace told him. "I'm through."

"The fuck you are," he snorted. He pulled her to him and backhanded her right across the face. "You're staying right here with me."

"Hey," the cabbie called. He pointed a gun right at Tyler and kept his aim with confidence. "Let her go. She gets in the car with me."

"This isn't your business," Tyler growled.

"Her fare is my money, and that's my business," the cabbie returned.

Tyler slowly let her go. Grace tried to control her breathing as she got in the cab and locked the door. The cabbie backed slowly into the driver's seat, putting the gun back in the glove box and pulling away from the apartment complex.

"Thank you," Grace finally managed a few minutes down the road.

The cabbie nodded in the mirror. "Not a problem. Just don't like seeing men beating up on women. It ain't right."

"You might have saved my life."

"My pleasure, ma'am."

The cabbie was kind enough to help her with her bags into the airport, took her money, and went on his way. Grace checked in for her flight back to Stockton and didn't stop looking over her shoulder for Tyler until the plane was off the ground.

.:.

"All right, church is in session," Clay announced. Everyone seated at the table quieted and turned towards him. "First off, welcome back to our VP. Jax, it's good to see you at the table again."

"Yeah, we missed your ugly mug," Opie joked.

"You fuckers can't live without me," Jax returned.

They all bantered for a couple minutes before Clay settled them down, anxious to get down to the task at hand.

"Luann needs some new business and so do we. Otto wants us to invest in this new strip place with her."

"You know I'm always down for a pussy tease," Tig smiled.

"This would be business, gentlemen. You choose to be a patron of the place, that's your choice."

"I don't know," Jax spoke up. "Austin's not going to be crazy about half-naked girls running around the clubhouse."

"Don't deny it, Clay," Chibs warned. "New girls means new croweaters. Never fails."

"As much as I love Austin, I gotta do what's best for the club. ATF has been half up our asses for the last few months and we're going to have to lay low on the guns for a little bit – meaning we need a legit cover. Automotive just doesn't seem to be enough anymore. I'm leaving it up for a vote, majority goes. We're looking at a fifty-fifty split with Luann."

As the votes came in, Juice was torn. He wanted to think that a negative vote would somehow prevent Grace from taking or getting that job, but this was good for the club. It was good for a prominent member's old lady. And, even without the Sons supporting her, Luann could likely finance the whole thing herself anyway. At least then Grace would be close and he could keep an eye on her.

So when the vote came to him, he nodded. "Aye."

The vote turned out to be unanimous; the Sons of Anarchy would back Luann Delaney on her new strip club. Clay let the gavel fall, and it was done.

Juice stood with the rest of the men and headed straight for the bar. He ordered up a shot of tequila and a beer from the prospect, and Half-Sack delivered it promptly.

"Hey, where's the girls?" Juice called.

Austin appeared from the clubhouse and shook her head. "I kicked 'em all out."

"You bitch," Juice teased.

"Fuck you," Austin smiled, punching him in the arm. "Don't worry, they're coming. Gemma and I told them all to stay away until after church sessions. We're sick of playing hostess till you fuckers get done."

"That's probably for the best," Chibs spoke up. "Aussie-girl, she don't play nice."

They all chorused their agreements, and Austin took a modest bow. "You're welcome."

Jax and Austin disappeared to the back room, and Juice felt for Jax. It was true that Austin didn't always play nice, and she wasn't going to be very happy when Jax told her about the strip club. He didn't have much time to think about it; Gemma opened the door, letting in a line of croweaters.

"Have at 'em, ladies," Gemma commented, pulling Clay back through the door with her.

Rachel, a pretty blonde who Juice had hooked up with a few times, cuddled up to him right away. "What do you say, Juice? You want to spend the night with me?"

Anything to take his mind off of Grace and her job as a stripper. He ordered up three more shots – one for him and two so Rachel could catch up.

"Just give me the bottle," Juice ordered the prospect. He took it in one hand and Rachel's hand in the other. "Come on, baby. Let's see how crazy we can get."

**A/N: I was trying to stay away from the whole damsel-in-distress thing, but it just snuck its way in. Don't worry, Juice will have his own fair share of distress, too. **

**Hope you enjoyed this first chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

Grace blinked against the California sun as she stepped out of the Stockton airport. The overnight flight had left her with an airport bench as a bed which had tensed her muscles and put a wicked crick in the middle of her shoulders. One of the airport employees had been kind enough to supply her with a cart for her bags and rolled it out to the sidewalk with her. Grace thanked him as she slipped a pair of sunglasses over her face.

Luann pulled up in the passenger seat of a shiny black Cadillac with a woman Grace didn't know. She waved them down and they stopped at the curb in front of her.

"Grace, this is Gemma Teller-Morrow, Clay's wife," Luann introduced. "Gemma, this is Grace Callaghan."

Gemma shook hands with Grace. "Luann seems to have taken a particular liking to you."

Grace gave a polite smile, but glanced at Luann just the same. Luann hugged Grace to her side.

"Because Grace is a good girl. She's not like the other whores I had to hire," Luann commented.

Once in the car, Grace removed her sunglasses. She knew they were going to see the bruise on her cheek; it was kind of hard to miss. It had caught her a little bit off-guard when she looked at herself in the mirror hanging on the wall of the airport bathroom. It hadn't welted, but it was definitely tender to the touch.

Gemma frowned in the rearview mirror as they pulled away from the airport. "What bastard did that to you?"

"An ex," Grace replied. "Well, he's an ex now, anyway."

"You don't have to worry about him anymore," Luann told her, silencing Gemma with a look. "We'll get you back to my place and you can rest before the club opens tomorrow night."

"I was just going to get a hotel," Grace offered.

"It's all right," Luann said. "You can stay with me till you find a place of your own. That house gets so lonely with Otto gone."

Grace noted the sadness in Luann's voice and decided it was best not to argue. She simply sat back and watched the scenery pass by out the window. She didn't see the look that Gemma and Luann traded.

.:.

"Everybody is running from something, I told you that," Gemma scolded.

"I know," Luann said, trying to calm Gemma down. "Grace isn't bad news. When this thing with the strip bar started, I called Penny in Miami to see if she had any girls interested in relocating. She told me about Grace, asked if I would take her as a favor. Look at her, Gem. She's a beautiful girl, and she dances like a dream. The kiddies are going to go nuts for her. SAMCRO is in this with me, so what's good for my club is good for your club, too."

Gemma sighed and shook her head. "Last time a girl ran to SAMCRO, we ended up with a dead fed on our hands."

"Grace isn't Austin," Luann assured. "This ex of hers, he's a piece of shit landscaper or some pussy shit like that. She's not going to cause trouble."

"Fine. But do me a favor – keep her away from my guys. They'll go nuts for her."

"She's already connected to one of them."

"Come again?"

"Juice. They know each other from when they were kids or something."

Gemma licked her lips and nodded. "Just make sure she behaves."

Luann walked Gemma to the door and hugged her. She loved that woman – Gemma had been her best friend for years – but Gemma's compassionate side was sometimes lacking a little. Luann liked Grace, as a person, and she was going to do whatever she had to get the girl straight.

.:.

That Friday night, everyone was gathered in the clubhouse for the usual festivities. Rachel hadn't been completely effective in distracting Juice's mind from Grace the other night, but it was good enough for him. He snagged the girl almost as soon as she walked in that night. He started again with the tequila shots, but his distraction was to be short-lived.

"Chibs, Tig, Juice. Luann's opening the strip club tonight. I want you guys to head over there," Clay ordered.

"I thought she had security," Juice questioned.

"I want a SAMCRO presence there, just to make things clear. Shit doesn't go down at this club."

Juice took another shot and nodded. He didn't even kiss Rachel goodbye or say anything to her, but she didn't second-guess it. Rachel knew her place, and she wasn't one to cause a stir.

Austin exchanged a look with Juice as he prepared to head over to the strip club with Tig and Chibs. Juice had spoken with her a couple more times over the last month about Grace, and she knew how uneasy he felt about the situation. Juice lit a cigarette and headed outside for the picnic table. Austin followed not long after.

"You all right with this? If you want to stay here, I'll send Jax. He can tell Clay he'd rather be there himself."

Juice smiled. "That's sweet of you, Aus. I know you'd rather die than see Jax around some strippers."

Austin nodded. "Yeah, that's true. But I don't worry about him right now so much as I worry about you."

"You don't need to worry about me. Grace and I – it was stupid of me to think that she'd just open up to me like before. I can't let that get in SAMCRO's way."

He put out his cigarette and joined Tig and Chibs walking to their bikes. He was just going to have to suck it up and remember that the Gracie he knew had changed. She didn't want him to be part of her life anymore, fine. He'd respect her wishes, but knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself from keeping an eye on her from a distance.

.:.

The turnout for the first night was much larger than had expected. Luann had certainly done a good job with promotion. Good thing, too, because as nice as Luann was, Grace was anxious to get into her own place. All of the money she had was in an account that still had Tyler's name on it – one he had made sure required his signature to withdraw any money. She was starting from scratch, but she knew she could make it.

"Grace, you're up next," Luann announced. "As soon as Stephanie is off the stage, DJ's going to start your music."

Grace nodded and checked her hair and makeup one more time. She'd been able to mostly hide the bruise on her face, and the lighting would hide the rest of it. Grace had been stripping for years now, but she still got nervous just before. She always played that sexy girl-next-door, and tonight was no different. Her red bra and thong were hidden by the shortest, tightest pair of denim shorts she could find and a crop-top Red Sox jersey that she didn't even bother buttoning. She pulled her hair into a ponytail, but that wouldn't hold for the whole dance anyway. A pair of red platform heels completed her outfit.

"Knock 'em dead, girl," Stephanie encouraged, coming off the stage. "Oh, and some Sons just walked in. They're VIP, keep that in mind."

She stopped in her tracks. "You know who they are?"

"You mean like which guys? I just saw the cuts, didn't focus on faces. Better get going."

Grace closed her eyes and shook her head; she had to get him out of her mind or she was never going to be able to do this.

The music started and Grace took the stage. Whoops and hollers started not long after. She played to the men seated right at the stage, making sure they got an eyeful of cleavage before she pulled the elastic from her hair and ran her hand through the locks as she backed up a little, shedding her shirt first.

.:.

Juice sat with a scowl on his face as Chibs and Tig watched her strip. The second she stepped onto the stage, every protective nerve in his body had been struck. These men seeing her, touching her – he wanted to beat the shit out of all of them.

_That's not your place anymore, _he reminded himself. That worked, until she removed that red bra and her breasts were exposed for the whole club to see, and Juice's muscles tensed all over again.

"Come on, Juice," Chibs said, nudging him. "This is supposed to be fun, not painful."

Juice nodded. "I'm just going to get a beer. You guys want anything?"

They both agreed a beer would be good. Juice ordered up a tequila shot to go with his, and bottomed down a second before returning to Chibs and Tig. He was getting buzzed now, and while he was still pissed off, at least maybe he could control it better.

Grace came off the stage twenty minutes later. He finally breathed a sigh of relief, until she came out again to walk the floor. Her bra was back on, and an extremely low skirt was slung across her hips, still not leaving much to the imagination.

"I want her," Juice said out loud, getting up from his seat with Chibs and Tig.

"There you go," Tig encouraged. "Getting in the spirit of things."

Chibs applauded Juice, but he recognized the distressed look on the younger man's face. He'd go with it tonight, but he was going to find out what was going on in the next couple of days.

.:.

Juice tapped her on the shoulder when he finally caught up to her. She was sweet talking another customer who must have recognized Juice because the other man turned and left as soon as Grace turned around.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Thanks. You planning on running off all my customers?"

He held up a hundred dollar bill. "I am a customer."

"You're not serious," Grace scoffed. "What are you gonna do? Pay me to just sit in the back? That's not how this works."

Juice put a hand on the small of her back and pulled her against him. "You're a stripper, and I'm a guy hard up for some action. Dance for me, Gracie."

Her face softened and she pushed away from him. "You're drunk, Carlos. I can smell the alcohol on your breath."

"Two hundred," Juice said, digging more cash out of his wallet. "What's it going to be?"

Grace sighed and grabbed him by the hand. "Come on."

She dragged him to a private room and pushed him down to the cushioned seat. A button on the wall started a different song that only he could hear; Grace moved provocatively in front of him, pushing the skirt down to her ankles before kicking it to the side. Juice took a deep breath and felt his jeans tighten significantly. It wasn't the first time he'd seen her without clothes, but she'd never had the confidence to do anything like this for him.

Maybe it was the music, maybe it was being alone in the same room with him. Whatever it was, dancing for Juice slowly started to ebb away at the anger she felt towards him. Her heart beat faster, almost as if she was nervous – no, not nervous. She was _excited. _

Juice's hands went immediately to her hips when she got close enough, pulling her into his lap. Grace's breath caught in her throat and she grinded her hips against him. Juice buried his face in her chest, and Grace couldn't help but moan in pleasure when his lips connected to her sternum. She pushed him away from her before reaching for the clasp on her bra and releasing the hook. The garment fell away, slowly revealing her breasts.

Both of them paused momentarily, their eyes meeting for just seconds before their mouths connected and their tongues battled for control of the kiss. Juice wrapped his arms around her, and Grace pushed his cut back off his shoulders.

The song stopped, signaling the end of the dance. Grace was taken back to reality; this wasn't her Carlos. This was Juice, a guy she used to know – a paying customer. Without a word, she scooted off his lap, putting her bra back on first before pulling the skirt back up her legs.

"What are you doing?" Juice asked, fixing his cut back in place.

Grace shook her head. "I let that go too far, I'm sorry. Please, just don't tell Luann, okay?"

Juice reached for her arm. "I'm not going to say anything to Luann. Just talk to me. Gracie, please."

"I can't, I'm working. I overstepped a line."

Juice nodded. "All right. Please, just take this money."

It was far too much for the few minutes she had danced for him – especially when it had gone to the extent it did. "I can't take your money."

"Please," he pleaded with her.

She didn't like it, but she took it just the same. "Do me a favor. I know you've got to come in here because of SAMCRO and all, but just … if you want a dance or something, go to one of the other girls, okay?"

He pushed the door shut when she tried to open it. "I was wrong the last time we saw each other. You know how things were before. I never saw you doing this kind of thing."

"I knew you wouldn't understand," Grace said, shaking her head. Juice could see the tears well up in her eyes.

"Maybe I'd understand if you would talk to me."

Grace sighed. "I'm off at two. Pick me up and we'll talk."

Juice agreed. "Fine. I'll be here at two."

"Quit drinking tonight. I'm not riding with you if you're drunk."

There was the Grace he knew. He agreed, kissing her cheek before finally allowing her to open the door and return to her work.

Juice sat back down with Chibs; he didn't see Tig but guessed he was in a room with one of the other girls. Chibs just stared at him until finally Juice caved in.

"What is it, man?"

"You tell me," Chibs replied. "What's with the girl?"

"Her name is Grace," Juice told him. "I know her from back East. We were good friends. Look, only Austin knows and I'd rather keep this quiet. Grace, she gets to me, and I don't want everyone in the club think I'm a fucking pussy."

Chibs nodded. "Let her go, Juice. You're holding on to something that's long gone. Can hear it in your voice."

Chibs got up to find a girl for his own dance, leaving Juice to his thoughts. Was he wrong to think that he and Grace had any chance for a friendship, or to even be acquaintances? There was no way of knowing until he talked to her. He still had a few more hours to wait, so he headed for the bar. He'd keep his promise to her and sober up, but he'd stay out of her way until she was done for the night.

**A/N: Glad everyone is liking it so far! Thanks for the reviews and the alerts. **


	3. Chapter 3

Once all the other girls had left, and Chibs and Tig too, Juice decided it was worth it to venture a risk to the dressing room and seeing what was taking Grace so long. She was just flipping her phone shut when he found her, and her face was flushed.

"Rough phone call?" he asked.

Grace startled, her hand flying to her throat. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry. You all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Ready to get out of here."

Juice studied her as she finished packing her things. "You're exhausted, Gracie. Why don't I just drop you off at Luann's, and we'll talk later?"

Gratitude flooded her features but she assured him she would be fine. "You know me. I put this off now and I'll put it off forever."

Juice smirked. Yes, he did know that about her. Some things never changed, he supposed. Grace stopped on their way out to let Luann know she'd be with Juice. He led her out to the bike, handing her his helmet. She secured it under her chin, pulled the strap of her bag across her chest, and sat nervously behind him on the bike.

"Don't go _too _fast," she warned him.

"It's all right," Juice smiled. "I won't let you get hurt, Gracie."

Her arms wrapped firmly around his waist while he navigated to his apartment. Juice kept a careful hand over hers as he pulled the bike into a parking spot; Grace leaned her cheek against his back, lingering momentarily.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Grace replied, letting go and sliding off the bike. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Juice assured her. He took the helmet from her and carried it inside. He unlocked the door and motioned for her to go in ahead of him. "It isn't much. It's really only ever me here."

Grace shrugged. "It's not too bad."

"Yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck while Grace looked awkwardly for a place to sit. Juice picked up a few t-shirts from the couch and offered the seat to her. "Go ahead and sit. If you're thirsty I have … water."

Grace smiled as she sat. "I'm fine, Carlos."

"I missed your accent," he said, giving her a small smile.

She gave a nod and returned his smile. "Listen, I want to apologize for freaking out last time I saw you. It was unexpected and it caught me off-guard. I was so happy to see you, and then you freaked out over me stripping – which I understand, by the way. The girl you knew eight years ago never would have done that."

"Why did you start?" Juice ventured.

"Well," Grace started, taking a deep breath, "I stayed in New York for about three years after you left. I went to a community college and started working on my nursing degree. I was almost done, actually. I had two semesters left, mostly clinical hours, and then I moved to Orlando."

"You quit nursing school?"

"I did."

"Must have been something pretty important."

"My mom died," Grace answered tearfully. "She just … died. There was no warning. No money for an autopsy, but everyone said it was probably an aneurysm. Anyway, she died and there was nothing left for me in New York. You were gone and she was gone. I was working at the diner on the weekends and one night this guy came in. He was charming and handsome and kind of swept me off my feet." Jealousy rose up in his chest, and it must have showed on his face because she looked away quickly and continued. "He was on vacation from Orlando, so when he went back, I went with him. And everything about me changed from there."

"The stripping?"

She sighed. She'd been hoping that he'd forget about that part. "This guy, he lost his job not long after we got to Orlando and then decided to start his own business. I hadn't finished my degree and waitressing just wasn't making ends meet."

Juice's frown deepened. "It was your idea?"

"Not exactly," she whispered.

He stood and tried to take some deep breaths to work out his anger. "That bastard asked you to do it? He _wanted _you to be naked, with other men putting their hands all over you?"

"He wasn't like you, Carlos! Tyler's dad took care of everything – Tyler didn't know how to do it for himself. He wasn't raised like we were, to take care of ourselves. I stayed because I thought I loved him, and once the business took off, he was supposed to take care of me. He was going to give me the money to finish school, and things were going to change. They just never did. So I left."

Juice took another deep breath and sat back down. "If you needed money, why didn't you come to me? I would have helped you – taken care of you."

Grace reached for his hand, interlacing her fingers with his. "Besides the fact that I was with another man, I had no idea where you were. You left New York and you were just … gone. You had dreams, Juice. I didn't."

He smirked and Grace asked him what it was. "You called me Juice."

"Well, yeah. That's who you are now, right? I keep calling you Carlos and – I don't know. Just doesn't seem right anymore."

He squeezed her hand and pulled her a little closer. "You did have dreams, Gracie. I remember. Dreams of being happy, of being part of a family."

"Yeah, and I was gonna live in Fenway Park, too," she scoffed. "Those weren't dreams. That was just wishful thinking."

"What about the nursing," Juice tried, putting a hand on her cheek. "Nursing was your way of reaching those dreams. I know you had to have been good at it; you always were a caretaker."

Grace leaned into his hand and sighed. "It's just not the same anymore."

"Because I left."

"No," she replied adamantly, this time being the one to stand. "None of this is your fault. I made these choices on my own."

Juice pulled her into his lap, thoughts of their earlier actions clouding his brain. Grace didn't fight him, letting her hands rest on his shoulders. He pushed back the hair from her face; this time his motives were softer. He still wanted her in the worst way – that would never change – but earlier it was about the alcohol and his anger.

"Everything happens for a reason, right?" Juice said quietly. "You and I ended up in the same place again for a reason."

Grace didn't care what that reason was or if there even really was a reason. She leaned in and kissed him. Juice's kisses were so soft in return, it made her heart beat faster. He stood up off the couch, picking her up with him and carrying her to the bedroom. He set her down carefully on the bed before pulling his shirt over his head and crawling over her. Grace smiled up at him, suddenly reminded of the first time they had done this – before he was Juice, when he was still just Carlos.

_Grace smoothed down her satin dress as Carlos drove them through the city in her mother's beat up car. He reached for her hand, gently kissing her knuckles. _

"_You were, without a doubt, the prettiest girl there," he complimented. "I'm glad you made me go."_

_Grace smiled and snuggled against his shoulder. "It's Senior Prom. You can't _not _go. And thanks for ignoring all the skanks trying to get you to go with them to go with me."_

_He smiled at her. "You're my best friend, Gracie. Something like this, I can't take just anyone."_

_She smiled even bigger and let out a content sigh. She couldn't believe they'd be graduating high school in a few weeks. So much had happened in the last eight years, it seemed. She'd work for the next year to save some money to get started in school. Carlos planned on working at a garage not far from where they lived. If they could save enough and her financial aid came through, they might even be able to move out of their respective mother's place and get a place of their own. _

_Carlos directed the car into the parking garage of a hotel and found a spot not far from the door. Grace frowned, letting go of his hand. _

"_This isn't where the after party is."_

"_I know. Look, if you want to go to the after party, we will. I just thought – we've never talked about any of this, and I know it's probably coming from left field. I don't want you to flip shit. You really are my best friend, Gracie, and I know we have all these plans together. We have these plans for after graduation and I want it to be more than just plans with my best friend."_

_The smile that had faded slowly started to make another appearance. "What exactly did you have in mind?"_

_He let out a nervous breath. "The car was not exactly where I pictured saying this. I'm a little nervous."_

_Grace giggled. "Then come on. Take me up to our room and you can finish what you have to say."_

_They both retrieved their bags from the backseat, and he checked them into their room. Grace held his hand tight – Carlos knew then that she knew exactly what was coming. He also knew there was no way she was going to let him get away with not finishing what he had to say. _

_She sat on the bed and looked up at him expectantly. "All right, out with it."_

"_All right," he agreed. "I'm probably going to repeat myself here. You're my best friend, but I want more. I've loved you from the first day I met you. I don't care if we were ten. I knew then what I wanted and it hasn't changed at all."_

_Grace frowned. "But you've been with other girls. Karla and Shay … those girls fought multiple times over who you loved more."_

"_Karla and Shay were distractions. I don't expect you to feel the same way I do, so they were a weak attempt at changing my mind."_

"_Didn't work so well, did it?"_

_He shook his head. "Not at all."_

_Grace stood, wrapping her arms around him. "You should have said something sooner, Carlos. There's a reason I turned down every guy since the fifth grade. It wasn't _just _for good grades."_

_He chuckled and his heart swelled. Grace lifted her face to him and Carlos held her as close as possible, finally connecting their lips. Having her permission to kiss her and hold her was more than he had hoped for. _

_As the kiss lengthened, Grace pulled him backwards towards the bed. She kicked off her shoes and pulled him down on top of her. _

"_We don't have to rush things," Carlos assured her. "I want you, Gracie, but it doesn't have to be like this."_

_She kissed him chastely. "What better way than this? We've both wanted this forever and it's Senior Prom. Maybe it's a little typical, but I want to do this."_

_He rolled over and sat up. "We don't talk about this much … I've never done this, Grace."_

_She bit her lip nervously. "Neither have I. It's a girly, cheesy thing, but I was sort of saving myself for you."_

_He put a hand on her cheek and kissed her sweetly. "If you're sure you want to do this, we will. But I don't want to push you."_

"_I don't expect it to be rainbows and ponies," she told him. "Everyone says the first time never is. But with you, I know it'll be all right."_

_Knowing he was defeated from the beginning, Carlos put his arms around her again, laying her back on the bed. _

Now, almost nine years to the day from that first time, Grace and Juice laid in his bed, tangled together in the sheets and each other. They were both sweating and trying to catch their breaths. Juice kissed her forehead.

"You all right?" he asked.

Grace nodded. "Fine."

"Good. Want to take a shower with me?" Juice offered mischievously.

Grace laughed. "We just went twice, and you haven't had enough of me yet?"

"Baby, I'll never get enough of you."

Grace's chest tightened; every single bit of love she had once seen in his eyes was still there. She didn't doubt it, and that fact alone didn't make her uncomfortable. What worried her was that she was different, and completely unsure of how she felt.

"Look, maybe we shouldn't tell anyone about us hooking up," she commented. "Not that you're one to kiss and tell, I just think … I don't know."

Juice frowned. "You're not just a piece of ass. You know that, right?"

"No, I know. This is just complicated. I'm working at the club and it kind of happened fast. Luann explained a little bit about everyone in the club, just so I'm aware, so I know about Jax and Austin. I didn't come here for you, Carlos, and I didn't come for any kind of protection. I just want everyone to get to know me before adding anything to it."

"Yeah, I get that. Fine." He reached for a nearby towel. "I'll leave some hot water for you."

Grace buried her face in her hands as he disappeared into the bathroom and she heard the door lock behind him. She'd messed that up, big time. It just couldn't be that easy to pick up where they left off.

.:.

Austin was finishing up for the day, glad that the day was over. If one more customer had bitched about whatever was wrong with their car, she was going to knock someone out – and the possibility of that being a literal expression was pretty significant with her.

Some of the Sons were getting ready to go on a run to Tacoma; Jax and Juice were among them. She wasn't thrilled about either of them going. It would be Jax's first run not only since they became a couple, but since he had been released from the hospital. It wasn't supposed to be too stressful, but Austin still worried about his heart.

As for Juice, she wasn't sure his head was in a good place. He'd been distracted since Grace had come back to Charming, and Chibs had told her that Grace went home with Juice a couple nights before, when they had gone to be a presence at the strip club. He'd seemed even more distracted since that night, but he hadn't volunteered any information about it.

"All right, babe. We're heading out," Jax announced, breaking her from her thoughts.

Austin sighed, setting down the wrench in her hand. "Be careful, okay? And stay away from the girls."

"I'll be careful – and you know you're the only girl I love."

"Just remember that I may not be as tough as your mother sometimes, but I'm not as accepting of some things."

"You have nothing to worry about."

She sighed; her worry really wasn't too great. She trusted Jax. Maybe what happened on runs was supposed to stay on runs, but things were different for her and Jax. Shaking those thoughts from her head, she glanced at Juice.

"Watch out for him, Jax. Grace is messing with his head. I don't know if it's on purpose or not, but I don't like it."

Jax nodded. "I'll look out for him. Maybe you should try and meet up with her while we're gone, feel her out."

Austin gave him an ornery grin. "Feel her out? You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Jax chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. "You're a brat."

"You love me."

"That I do," he agreed. "I'll see you in a couple days, all right? Chibs will be around if you need anything."

Austin kissed him. "See you in a couple days."

She grinned as Jax took a few steps backward to his bike, blowing her a kiss as he walked away. She was sure the romance and affection would wear off eventually, but she was going to enjoy softie Jax Teller as long as he was around.

Juice walked by, breaking her from her thoughts. She grabbed for his arm and hugged him fiercely.

"Whoa," he said, hugging her back. "You all right?"

Austin pulled back. "Are you?"

Juice sighed. "I'm fine, Aus. It's just weird with her here. It's different."

"I know. You gonna be all right on the run?"

"When did you become Gemma's backup caretaker for all of us, anyway?" Juice teased her. "Really, I'll be fine. A few days away will be good. And I promise to keep the girls away from Jax."

"You're the best," Austin smiled, picking up the wrench and going back to finishing her work.

**A/N: I had to get some Austin/Jax in there. I'm not ready to start their next story till this one is complete, I think, but I miss writing them already. Don't hate me too much. **

**My last final is on Thursday, so I probably won't post again till after that. Thank you for everyone who has read/reviewed/alerted! **


	4. Chapter 4

"You know where the lot is? Or I can pick you up … all right … yeah, the door should be open. See you then." Austin disconnected the call and dropped the phone on the bed before running a hand through her wet hair. She had planned on calling Grace just before the guys got back in the hopes that Grace and Juice could cross paths, but then thought better of it. Maybe it was better to figure out what this girl's deal was without the distraction of anyone.

"Getting ready to go out?" Gemma asked.

Austin looked up from the closet. "Uh, yeah, I guess. With Grace. Jax wanted me to kind of feel her out, figure out what her deal is."

"That's not a bad idea," Gemma agreed. "I don't like her."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Austin smirked.

"I liked you right away," Gemma replied.

"Once you knew I was actually Kip's sister. And don't tell me you didn't have second thoughts after you found out the truth – don't argue, I know it's true. And it's okay. The point is, I'm in this now, Gemma, and whether this girl being here is bringing down the whole club or just Juice, I'm not going to stand for it."

Gemma nodded and smiled. "Couldn't have said it any better myself. Call me tomorrow."

Austin chuckled to herself, pulling a SAMCRO tank-top from the closet before digging a pair of jeans from a drawer. She added a pair of heels just to make the outfit a little girlier and got to work on drying her hair.

.:.

Grace took a deep breath as she stepped out of the cab that dropped her off at Teller-Morrow. She couldn't escape the feeling that she was stepping into the lion's den.

The clubhouse door was open, as Austin had said it would be, so she pushed it open and stepping inside. Three men she didn't know were sitting at the bar, and those three sets of eyes looked up at her as soon as she was in view.

"You lost, sweetie?" Piney asked.

Grace stumbled over her words before taking a breath and starting over. "I'm looking for Austin."

The three men exchanged a glance. Grace had a feeling they were sizing her up, and she was right. Someone they didn't know looking for Austin with all that had gone in the last few months wasn't going to sit well.

"I'm Grace," she continued. "I dance at Luann's club."

"Piney Winston," the old man said, holding out his hand to her. Grace shook it firmly. "This is Chibs and Opie."

The other two shook hands with her as well, and the one with the scars on his face – what did Piney call him? Chips? – held on a little longer than necessary.

"You're Juice's girl, aren't ya?"

Grace shook her head. "I know him from when we were kids is all. Our mothers lived across the hall from each other."

"Chibs, relax with the third degree. That's my job," Austin spoke up as she walked into the main room. Her tone was teasing, but Grace's guard was up. "Hi Grace."

"Austin," she acknowledged. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. Are you ready to go?"

"Going out without escort, Aussie-girl?" Chibs asked.

Austin rolled her eyes. "We'll be fine."

She kissed each of the three men on the cheek before motioning for Grace to follow her out to the parking lot. Grace took a seat in Austin's Charger, buckling herself in. She held her purse on her lap and tried to find a way to break the silence.

"Where are we going?"

"There's an Italian place not too far. My brother and I go there sometimes. It's quiet, not too busy. That all right?"

Grace nodded. "Fine. Your brother is here?"

"He's a Son. They call him Half-Sack. Trust me you don't want to know the story behind that."

"I don't think I do," Grace chuckled. "It must be nice to have some family around."

"Well, when I first came here, Kip was the only family I had. It didn't take long for – well, let's just say they're all family now."

Ah, so that's what this was about. Luann had warned Grace about Gemma, and she had explained about how Austin and Jax came together. She had, however, neglected to mention that Austin could be just as protective as Gemma.

Grace kept her mouth shut until they were seated at the restaurant and had ordered their food. She sipped her water and looked around awkwardly; then she decided it was best to just pull out the knife and cut the tension.

"I know you're worried about me and Carlos," Grace said. "I'm sure that's what this little get-together is about. You need to understand that I didn't come here for him. I did come here to get away from Miami, but that's it. I'm not looking for anything else."

Austin sighed. "And therein lies the problem. You're new to even being in the environment surrounding club life, let alone being immersed in it. These men, Grace, they don't fall often, but when they do, they fall hard. You may not be looking for protection or anything else, but that isn't how Juice sees it. Juice _is_ family. Luann told you about me so you know I've waited a long time to be part of a family, and I'm going to protect the one that I finally have. That's what this is about. I just want to understand what happened with you two before so that I can protect Juice."

Grace took a deep breath. It was none of Austin's business, what had gone on before. Juice was a grown man, he could decide for himself how he handled his life. She wasn't angry, but Grace did feel a little irritated; she'd come to Charming in the hopes of starting a normal life and –

"I know you're probably thinking this is none of my business." Austin interrupted Grace's thoughts as though she could read the girl's mind. "But I'm trying, in the nicest way I know how, to explain to you that when it comes to a member of the Sons of Anarchy, it's the business of everyone in the club. Gemma's not a Son, and neither am I but she's the wife of the President of the original charter. I'm with their VP. That puts us in a different sort of position – a position to find out what business needs to be taken care of."

"Fine," Grace said. "I'll tell you what you want to know, but you have to promise me I'm not going to get dragged into all this bullshit."

Austin smirked; this girl was already in further than she could possibly imagine. "Fine."

Grace gave a nod before starting. "I was born in Massachusetts. My parents were happy when I was born, as far as my mom tells me. They were young and unmarried – barely out of high school. My dad found work on a fishing boat. He was gone a lot, but we always had what we needed. To this day I don't know exactly what happened, but my mom just decided to leave him one day, and she took me with her. We moved to New York when I was ten. I hated it there. The kids were awful – they didn't like me because I wasn't from New York and I had an accent, but it was different from theirs. Then Carlos came knocking at our door. He'd kept his distance the first few days, I guess, till he could figure out if I deserved what I was getting or not, and told me he wanted to be friends. I had kept to myself so much, I didn't even realize he was in my same class.

"We were pretty much inseparable after that. Carlos was my best friend all through middle school and high school. I think it was about our sophomore year when we decided we weren't going to live with our mothers forever. We started planning and saving to live on our own after high school. We were going to get a place together, he was going to work in a garage, and I was going to go to nursing school."

The waiter brought their food then, so Grace paused her story. She took another drink of water and stared down at her plate. Suddenly, she wasn't very hungry.

"Carlos was always interested in two things: motorcycle and computers. He figured out how to hack into shit and we looked up everyone: our moms, our friends. We even looked up my dad one day. He was married with a new family. That really sucked. Carlos though, he told me that my dad didn't deserve me. That I was too good to be the daughter of some guy who could just abandon me. He always made me feel like I was worth something, even when I didn't think it was true.

"Finally, senior prom came around. I forced him to go with me, and we had a blast. After prom, he told me that he wanted to go ahead with all of our plans, but he didn't want it to be just between friends. We'd both been in love with each other for who knows how long, and it took us until then to admit it to each other. We graduated and went on with our plans. We were really happy together. Then, he heard about some motorcycle club in California and wanted to come out here. I couldn't leave my mom – I was all she had. And she was a good woman. She didn't have a lot but she took care of me. We got in a really big fight, and he left without me. That was the last time I saw him, until that day I came out here."

"So you were his first love," Austin surmised.

"I was his first of several things." Grace smiled as she remembered it. "I missed him a lot, and I was so sorry about the fight. I had no way of getting a hold of him. I never let him get far enough in the discussion to tell me which MC he was going to find or even where in California it was. Short of knocking on every clubhouse door in the state, I didn't know what to do. So I stayed in New York and went on with nursing school. A few years after he left, my mom died. I met a guy, moved to Orlando with him, then Miami. That obviously didn't work out, so I'm here."

"Well, Juice hasn't forgotten about any of it, that's for sure. I was with him that day he saw you on the lot – he was really torn up. The last couple of days it's been worse."

"Yeah, that's my fault," Grace sighed. "He came to the club the other night and I went home with him afterwards. We were just supposed to talk, but we ended up sleeping together. I told him I didn't think it was a good idea to spread the word about that – and I'd appreciate it if you didn't either. I didn't mean to hurt him. Things have just changed so much."

"Some things change, but some things will always be the same," Austin told her. "I think you're all right, Grace. I understand you didn't come here for Juice, but you have to really make him understand that. I know you two think you can be friends again, but based on what I know about Juice and what you've just told me, I just don't see that being an option."

"I know," Grace replied. "I really don't want to hurt him, but I can't just jump back into what we had. Maybe I can't ever go back."

"Maybes and what-if's aren't going to get you anywhere," Austin assured her. "If I've learned anything in life, it's that. Whatever you decide, do us all a favor and decide it quick."

Grace nodded. She would try her best, but it wasn't so easy as to simply decide. She wasn't even entirely sure what the decision was.

.:.

Austin dropped Grace off at the strip club after they ate, sparing the girl a second clubhouse experience in one evening. Grace thanked her – talking had been good. She still wasn't sure if she could consider Austin a friend or not, but at least someone knew the whole story now. Well, most of it.

She readied herself for work that evening, but couldn't shake the memories from her mind. Memories of her childhood with Juice, memories of their night together here in Charming. Maybe she didn't know how she felt about him specifically, but he never failed to show her that he thought her beautiful and loved her.

Damn it. She wasn't going to be able to work with these images and thoughts. The best way Grace had found to get through these night was to separate herself from what she was doing – if she was going to feel anything, it couldn't be anything related to Juice. If she pictured him or thought about him while she was stripping off her clothes for men she didn't even know, she wasn't going to be able to go through with it.

She couldn't jeopardize this new job. She needed to be here, all the way across the country from Tyler. She needed a fix, and she needed it fast.

Grace grabbed her purse and rushed for the bathroom. Locked in the tiled room by herself, she tried for a moment to talk herself out of this, but once the idea was in her head, there was no going back.

The pill bottle was, of course, easy to find. She took one out and then found the small pill crusher at the bottom of the bag. She crushed the pill to a fine powder, then found the flat, square piece of glass she kept in a side pocket of her purse. Laying it on the counter first, she poured the powder from the pill crusher to the glass. She worked it into several thin lines, found a dollar bill she could roll up, and did what she needed to do.

It hit her fast; that was the way she liked it. She was dizzy for just a few seconds, and leaned back against the cool tile. Not much longer and everything would go away. She wouldn't have to think about Juice or her mother or her father or Austin or the Sons of Anarchy. She would go into auto-pilot and do her job.

But maybe she would do another one, just for good measure. Grace crushed it up, put it into lines, and snorted it. The second pill hit harder. She stumbled a little as she put everything back in her purse. Suddenly, she felt nauseous; she leaned over the sink trying to breathe until it passed – until her mother's voice no longer played in her head.

"_We're going to be so happy here, Gracie," her mother promised. "I know the first few days have been rough, but it's going to be all right. You'll see."_

"_Maybe," ten-year-old Grace replied. _

_Kelly Morton smiled down at her daughter. Those green eyes, so much like Eddie Callaghan's, they were hard to look at. Even though Grace had her father's eyes, Kelly was convinced her daughter was better off without the man – that the both of them were. _

"_Just the other day you were ready to walk back to Attleboro," Kelly replied. "Now we have Carlos and his mom to be our friends. We just needed a new place to be. We're here now and it's all going to be fine."_

Finally, the nauseous feeling passed. Grace chanced a look into the mirror and recognized the woman looking back at her; she just looked like her mother. Except for her eyes. Her mother had never let her forget that she had her father's eyes. Somehow, that gave her a little hope.

"It's all going to be fine," she whispered before picking up her purse and heading back to the dressing room.

**A/N: I forgot to mention this in case anyone hasn't already read Let It Be Me, that this story is a spin-off from that one. It takes place after Let It Be Me and before the sequel to LIBM, which is the continuation of Jax and Austin's story. It's isn't really necessary to read it before this one, but it might be helpful to explain some things since Austin and Jax are present in this story. **

**Thanks for the alerts and reviews! Now that school is out and I'm not taking classes over the summer, I'm hoping I can get chapters up more frequently. **


	5. Chapter 5

Juice watched the party around him. Everywhere he looked, there were men and women and liquor. He wasn't hurting for the liquor – he was on to his sixth beer now – but none of these women enticed him. Three nights before, even Rachel still would have been a distraction. Now that he'd had Grace again, though, nothing else would suffice.

Jax took a seat next to Juice with his own drink. "Come on, man. Don't sit over here and mope. Go get yourself some pussy, take your mind off shit."

"Nah," Juice said, taking a gulp of his beer. "None of these bitches are worth it."

"Worth it?" Jax scoffed. "Juice, I get that you're hung up on this girl, but she ain't your old lady. Get some while you can."

Juice ran a hand over his face. "We both know you're not gonna hit it tonight, Jax, so why don't you just go find a quiet bed to drink yourself to sleep in?"

Jax held back his anger at Juice's tone and reminded himself of the days and weeks before Austin gave into him. "I've been where you're at, and recently. Austin had a shit-ton of baggage when she pulled onto the garage lot, Juice. I love the girl, but let's face it – she should have been towing a U-Haul behind that Charger for all the shit that came with her. I'd never hold that against her, but we all know it's true. Grace is working for Luann. She shows up from Miami out of nowhere. You haven't seen her in eight years –"

"How do you know all this shit?" Juice frowned.

"Austin may not be too girly, but my girl talks to me about all of this," Jax smirked. "All I'm saying is, from what I've heard about Grace, I'm betting she should have packed her emotional baggage in a fucking eighteen-wheeler."

Jax finished off his beer, ordered up another one from the prospect behind the bar, and gave Juice one last meaningful glance before walking off to find that quiet bed to drink himself to sleep.

That was just before all hell broke loose.

.:.

June Stahl strode into the cell Juice was sitting in and slapped down a file at the foot of the cot he was reclined on.

"You're not going to ask me what this is?" she prompted.

Juice kept his lips sealed and just continued to stare at the ATF agent. He knew who this bitch was – just a few months before, she had Austin in an interrogation room, questioning her about murder. June Stahl was digging for anything and everything she could find to bring down the Sons of Anarchy, but Juice sure as hell wasn't going to be the one to help her out.

"Fair enough. I'll do you a favor and save you the breath. This, Juan Carlos 'Juice' Ortiz, is your ATF file. I have one of these on every bitch and bastard tied to SAMCRO. That includes the SAMTAC and SAMBEL. That new chapter in Nevada? Don't worry, I'll have their information soon enough." She stopped to feel out his facial expression, then continued. "Let me talk to you about what's in this file, okay? Your club doesn't have a problem doing business with blacks, but how would they feel knowing that one of their members has a black father?"

Now she had Juice's attention. For all the club knew, he was Puerto Rican – his mother was Puerto Rican. He'd never mentioned about his father's background because his father never mattered to him – the deadbeat had never been in Juice's life. Besides doing business with the Niners, Juice had never known the Sons of Anarchy to have anything to do with anyone of black descent. They certainly wouldn't be interested in having one in their club – and there was only one way out of the Sons.

"We've got options for you, of course," Stahl told him, presenting it like he was checking into a hotel and had his pick of room amenities. "First option, the club finds out. I can tell them or you can tell them, I imagine the outcome will be the same. You'll be out. The ink comes off, you're ex-communicated, blah, blah, blah. Second option, this stays our little secret in exchange for information on the gun running. SAMCRO never finds out that there's a black man in their club, and that'll be that."

Juice still didn't say anything. He didn't trust Stahl for shit, but she had something on him. She could turn the entire club on him. She was being optimistic in her prediction of what would happen if the club found out. If they knew that his father was black, they wouldn't just cut Juice off. He lied to them. The penalty for that was so much worse.

"I'll give you some time to think it over. Not too much time though," Stahl warned. "This is a ticking time bomb, Juice. It could go in your favor or it could destroy you. You decide."

She told the guard at the cell door to let everyone sit for a couple of days before letting them go while she verified some evidence. Juice knew it was bullshit; she pulled everyone in so that she could talk to him without suspicion. Now she was going to let him sit and think on it.

As Juice sat back against the wall, his mind wandered back to Grace. Fathers had been a sticky subject for both of them. He remembered the day he had finally told Grace about his own father, and she in turn opened up about hers.

"_I still miss him sometimes," Grace admitted. "I wonder if he ever thinks about me. I dream about going back to Attleboro to find him."_

"_Would you go stay with him if you knew where he was?"_ _Carlos asked. _

_Grace shrugged. " I really don't know. Guess it would depend if he wanted me or not."_

"_Let's find him then," Carlos told her, nearly running for the computer. He fired it up and waited impatiently for the dial-up service to connect. _

"_This isn't necessary, really," Grace assured him. "If Eddie wanted to find me, he would have done it by now."_

_Carlos ignored her and put his hacking skills to what he considered good use. Grace had known her father for the first ten years of her life – that was certainly long enough to know how she felt about him and how he felt about her. He wasn't sure what had happened in the last six years that Eddie hadn't tried to find Grace, but maybe they could find out. _

"_Here, is this him?" Carlos asked, pointing to the screen. _

_Grace's eyes darted to the screen and she steadied herself against the back of his computer chair. Her eyes filled with tears and one hand went to her mouth. She just nodded; yes, that was him. That was her father. Backing up slowly so as not to fall, she let herself drop to the bed. _

"_Read it all to me. Please."_

_Carlos took a deep breath. "Let's see … he still lives in Attleboro. Works for a construction company. He's … he's married now, to a loan officer for a small bank."_

_If it was possible for Grace's face to fall any further, it did just then. "Do they have kids?"_

_Carlos scrolled down a little further and read the information. Grace had asked for. It was then that he realized he was faced with a choice: he could tell her everything listed on the website and chance losing his best friend, or he could protect her from a potential heartbreak and a whole lot of confusion. _

"_Two boys and a girl."_

_The tears fell from Grace's eyes. "I've been so stupid, Carlos. I honestly thought he'd come one day. Instead he went and got a whole new family!"_

_He put his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. "Listen to me, Grace. If he doesn't want you, he's crazy, all right? He doesn't deserve you. Kind of like my dad – they're both losers. We're better off here together."_

_Grace nodded, and Carlos let her cry it out. He would forever feel guilty for lying to her, and if her father ever did get in touch with her, he was going to have some explaining to do. Until then, he would keep her close and protect her as best he could. _

Maybe he should have looked up his father, too. Juice knew that man would never look for him or come to find him or anything – and that was just fine. Juice didn't want or need answers from him. Shaking his head and laying back on the cot, Juice decided he would do what he would always done – he would figure all of this out on his own. He would get out of the Stahl predicament and he would make Grace see that they belonged together. It wouldn't take long and everything would be back to normal, except better.

.:.

The garage was hitting a slow patch, so Austin had taken to helping Gemma between tune ups. She was running a couple of errands and picking up lunch when she spotted Grace on the corner talking to one of Darby's guys. Austin had only seen them once in all the time she'd been here, when she was in town with Chibs. He'd sent the guy packing right away and then explained things to Austin; Darby and his guys were only good for drug deals. It seemed like a very hush-hush kind of conversation – Austin didn't like it at all. She sat in the Charger until Darby disappeared, then caught up with Grace quick. She pulled the other girl by the arm back to the Charger.

"What the hell, Austin?" Grace exclaimed, wrenching her arm away. "You almost pulled my arm out of the socket!"

"The fuck are you doing talking to one of Darby's guys?" Austin demanded.

Grace puffed out her chest. "None of your business." She tried to walk away but Austin's grip immediately took her arm again.

"I explained to you why it _is _my business."

Grace sighed and looked away. She pulled her arm away again and dug a small bag out of her pocket. "I just needed some stuff."

Austin's jaw dropped a little. She composed herself quickly and opened the passenger side door. "Get in."

"Why?"

"Just get in. I've got to pick up lunch for me and Gemma, then we'll back to the lot and handle this."

Grace's eyes grew wide as she buckled herself in. "I'll go on one condition."

Austin raised her brow, daring Grace to challenge anything she'd say. "What's that?"

"You can't tell Juice. Please. It's bad enough to him that I'm stripping. If he knew anything else …"

Austin knew about keeping secrets. "Fine. But you get this shit handled."

Grace nodded, and Austin drove them on their way. It was just over thirty minutes later they were pulling onto the Teller-Morrow lot.

"Gemma," Austin said, leading Grace into the office. "We need to talk to you."

The older woman was on the phone and she motioned for Austin to wait. Austin pointed to a chair while she put the food bags on Gemma's desk.

"All right, be careful coming back. No more trouble. … Love you, too." Gemma hung up the phone and shook her head. "Those bastards are on their way back. They've been sitting in a jail cell in Tacoma for the last few days, didn't even bother to call and let me know."

Austin's eyes grew. "Are they all right?"

"Far as I can tell," Gemma answered. "Clay said he just wanted us to know they're fine and that they'll be back tomorrow."

"I'm going to call Jax. Grace, you can come with me."

"I thought you said you needed to talk."

"This isn't the time," Austin shrugged. "Let's figure out what the guys were in jail for, then we'll sweat the small stuff. I'll be right back."

Grace followed Austin to her room in the clubhouse and dropped down to the bed. "She'd be pretty pissed if she found out now, wouldn't she?"

"She's going to be pissed either way," Austin corrected. "Look, my suggestion is that you talk to Luann first. Maybe she can get you some help."

"I just got here, Austin. I can't have Luann turn me out now."

"Gemma's much more likely to turn you out than Luann. Luann is alone and I'm sure she enjoys having someone else in the house. Talk to her, Grace. You have two weeks, then I'm telling Gemma – and Juice."

Grace looked like a perturbed teenager as she rolled her eyes and nodded. "Fine. Can you take me back home?"

"Sure. Wait out at the bar, I'll be out after I talk to Jax."

"All right." Grace stood, but turned back at the doorway. "Hey, will you do me a favor? Make sure Juice is all right? I know that I hurt him the other day, but it doesn't mean I don't care."

Austin nodded. "Yeah, I'll make sure."

.:.

"Yeah, darlin', I'm fine. Ready to get back on the road and get home," Jax assured Austin. "We're getting ready to leave the Tacoma clubhouse now. I'll check in with you from the road, okay? … Yeah, he's fine. We talked a little. I'll tell you about it when I'm home. All right, babe. Love you, too, Aus." He disconnected his phone and turned to Juice. "Your girl asked Austin if you were all right. Told Austin you were fine."

Juice nodded. "Thanks, man."

Jax looked around to make sure no one else was listening to them. "I had to push to break Austin down to open up to me, and she was every bit worth it. I want you to remember though, Juice, the shit I went through to get where Austin and I are today. I almost died just trying to save her. I want you to decide if Grace is really worth your life before you push anything with her – and I want you to think about how she is today. Not the Grace you knew back when."

Juice cleared his throat. "Yeah, brother. I'll think about it."

They stopped the conversation there as everyone else gathered around them at the bikes. Motors revved and dust swirled as they pulled away from the Tacoma clubhouse; Juice was ready for it. Between Grace and Stahl, he just had too much on his mind. He needed the open road to clear his mind before he got back to Charming, otherwise he just wasn't going to be able to deal – and all too often, that led to doing things he knew he'd regret.

**A/N: I didn't realize that I don't have anonymous reviews enabled, but they are now! I appreciate all the reviews and alerts - please keep them coming. Hope everyone's having a fun safe weekend, and thanks for reading!**


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